No matter what grade you teach, you get a certain reaction when you tell students, “You are drawing faces today”—and typically, it’s not cheers of joy and excitement. Creating art is a vulnerable act, never more so than when you are asked to draw a self-portrait. In middle school, students are already self-conscious and unsure of themselves, making the self-portrait even more dreaded. So, how do we teach our students facial proportions and techniques while still engaging them? My solution to this problem is inquiry-based learning.
Left: Jimin L., Lichtenstein and Lee. Right: Students used their sketchbooks to take notes about their selected artist, then explore ideas for their own self-portraits.Left to right: Avery P., Untitled. Gracie H., Untitled.
Practice and Setup
The lesson began with guided practice exercises that taught eighth-grade students how to draw accurate facial proportions. Students practiced drawing a face in their sketchbook and the details of individual features.
After practicing techniques and building up their skills, students divided a sheet of paper in half vertically and drew one-half of their faces, using a mirror. They used pencils and focused on value and accurate proportions.
Guided Inquiries
After students completed the mirrored half of their portraits, we dove into our guided inquiry of portraiture. Students learned about various artists from different periods and movements and the history of portraiture, and they examined the work of contemporary artists and innovations in portraiture.
Students were then asked to conduct their own investigation of an artist to finish their portrait. Using a guided inquiry-based model, I gave students a “style guide” that included resources for their investigation and various artists to explore, hoping students would find an artist with whom they could connect.
Students used their sketchbooks to document their learning, redrawing a work by their selected artist, making notes about the artist’s methods, and finally sketching themselves in the style of that artist.
Once students completed their investigations, they chose the materials they would need to create their self-portraits in their artist’s style. Some students decided to work with acrylic paint and mimic the style of Vincent van Gogh, while others chose oil pastels to recreate the bright colors of Cubism. Students’ creative choices were inspiring, and their excitement was evident.
Reflections
The inquiry-based element of this lesson allowed students to take ownership of their learning and artwork in a new way. Students made discoveries with new materials and were able to reflect on their investigation. They enjoyed participating in self-reflections and exploring another artist’s style or a specific movement from history. They also expressed how much they enjoyed drawing a portrait of themselves for the first time.
Nikki Guerrini is an art teacher at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. Nikki.Guerrini@MyBGA.org
National Standard
Creating: Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work.
Art teachers start the school year with lessons that engage students while teaching them foundational skills and techniques. High-school students explore shape-based thinking and color theory while creating paintless paintings with tissue paper; middle-school students complete the second half of their self-portraits in the style of a chosen artist; elementary students utilize the elements and principles to draw realistic and abstract landscapes; young students learn about personal preferences while designing paper shoes; and more.
